SEAN Dyche will go down as one of the greatest managers in Burnley's history, according to Clarets chairman Mike Garlick.

And Garlick is hopeful that Dyche, who would celebrate five years in charge at Turf Moor this October, will remain at the club for another half a decade at least to guide Burnley to more success.

Dyche has been linked with the Crystal Palace job this week following the resignation of Sam Allardyce, but Garlick accepts he will always attract interest from elsewhere if the Clarets are doing well, and that the challenge is to keep progressing at Turf Moor to keep Dyche motivated.

"Sean's got to go down as one of our best managers in history I think," Turf chairman Garlick said.

"He's been here five years in October, personally I hope he's here for another five years until 2022, and if we can achieve that I'm sure we'll have more success together."

Dyche is now the seventh longest serving manager among the 92 Premier League and Football League clubs, with the final game of the Premier League season his 218th game in charge of the Clarets.

Only five Burnley bosses have taken charge of more games since the Second World War, and Garlick said Dyche's position has never been under threat during his time at the club.

Having guided Burnley to an unlikely promotion in 2013/14 the Clarets were relegated from the top flight a year later, but Garlick and the board stood by their manager and have reaped the rewards with an immediate return to the Premier League via the Championship title, and now top flight survival for the first time in over four decades.

"There’s got to be certain loyalty in the game for what Sean has done for us, and Sean’s team as well, getting us up there three years ago, which was the miracle," Garlick said.

"Then getting us up last year and keeping us there. For us it was never in doubt that we weren’t going to keep Sean."

Dyche is among the front runners for the vacancy at Selhurst Park according to the bookmakers and he has been linked with other jobs in his time at Turf Moor as well.

Garlick accepts that success will bring interest from other clubs, but is keen to keep Dyche stimulated by the challenge in front of him at Burnley.

"If we're successful, he's always going to be on lists," he said.

"We just have to make sure we're hungry enough to keep driving things forwards and keep improving, and hopefully that keeps him motivated.

"We’ve got to constantly improve and look to strengthen year on year, otherwise the challenge for any manager would decrease, the stimulation of the project would decrease.

"We’ve got to look forward and improve year on year."

So just where does Dyche rank in the pantheon of Burnley bosses?

Garlick admits it can be difficult to compare different eras, but he has him towards the top of the list, for his human touch as well as his managerial abilities.

"Harry Potts won the ultimate prize (the 1960 league title), but given the amount of money in the game, and what we've achieved so far, he's got to be in the top two or three, hasn't he?," he said. "Certainly in the post-war era.

"The football side speaks for itself, for me, the number one thing is more him as a person.

"His character and the way he conducts himself."